So you're ready to settle down in your new place after an exhausting day of moving. But after you've finished unpacking the last of your belongings, chances are you'll have a bunch of empty boxes lying around. The last thing you want is your new abode being cluttered with stray cardboard.

When it comes to dealing with empty boxes, it helps to think outside of the box. Here are a few options to consider when disposing of unwanted cardboard boxes.

Reuse

Using a cardboard box isn't a one-time deal. If cardboard boxes have the strength and rigidity to handle cross-country treks, then they offer enough durability to be used over and over again. If you have a few sturdy boxes left over from your move, you can put these to other good uses throughout your home.

You can re-purpose your cardboard boxes for storing books, toys and other items you want to store in the attic, basement, garage or closet. You can also reuse your old moving boxes to box and wrap gifts for birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions. Cardboard boxes can also come in handy for a wide variety of arts and crafts projects. Some projects may involve costumes for plays and holiday events, while others involve building creative structures out of cardboard boxes.

It's easy to reuse cardboard boxes without even realizing it. For instance, you may have already used the boxes your TV and other electronics originally came in, since these boxes offer the best protection against accidental damage. After your move, you can reuse these boxes yet again to store additional components, original manuals, and other items you might not need for your electronics just yet.

Recycle

There's a good reason why cardboard boxes often feature a heavy amount of recyclable content. Cardboard is not just easy to recycle, but the act of recycling it also pays big dividends when it comes to the environment. Recycled fibers can be reused to create a broad range of new products -- including more cardboard boxes.

Recycling offers a great way to dispose of boxes that fail to make the cut for reuse due to damage, extreme wear, or structural weakness. You can break them down for easier transport and take them to your nearest recycling center or bundle them up and leave them curbside for a recycling pick-up service. Just be mindful of any special requirements before recycling your old boxes.

Resell

Believe it or not, there's an entire industry surrounding the resale of used cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes can fetch a surprising amount of money on the second-hand market, from $0.50 a piece for standard-sized boxes to $1.50 a piece for larger boxes.

If you want to get rid of your boxes and put a little change back in your pocket, there are plenty of dedicated online exchanges that help link interested buyers to motivated sellers. You can also cut out the middleman and save yourself a few fees by posting an online classified ad on your own.

Some recyclers also pay cash for hauling in cardboard boxes. It's a numbers game, however, since most recyclers pay for cardboard by weight instead of per box. A typical recycler usually pays between a half-cent to three cents for each pound of cardboard.

Relinquish

Another way to get rid of unwanted boxes is simply by giving them away. See if your friends, family or coworkers need a few boxes. You may even have a few fellow neighbors or tenants who could use some free boxes.

You can ask your movers if they want to keep your old boxes after the move. Some moving companies even offer box removal as an optional service, ensuring that you won't be bogged down with a bunch of boxes in the aftermath of a successful move.